Overcoming the Past
by p3pp3rmintt
Summary: This is set after chapter 443, something I wished could have happened written before chapter 444 was posted. The team finally hear about how Lucy saved everyone during the Tartaros fight. WARNING: SPOILERS.


**WARNING: This one shot has spoilers. It is set directly after chapter 443. If you are just watching the new release episodes, I highly recommend that you do NOT read until the end of August. This chapter reflects on things that happened during the Tartaros arc that have not yet happened in the show.**

The team looked around at all of the other people screaming for help in the water. Erza glanced between the other Fairy Tail members. "Is everyone alright?"

Lucy looked at the nearby members. "Where's Mest? I don't see Wendy, Happy or Carla either!"

Gray grimaced. "Crap, Mest! That guy had him in his other dimension. He dropped him earlier on the island."

"I'm fine!" They all turned to see Mest slowly swim towards them. "Don't worry about me, we need to find some land."

"Guys, I found another small island to the south!" They all looked up to see Carla carrying Wendy with her aero magic. "It's not too far, but I don't know if everyone else will be able to make it."

Gray looked to the group thoughtfully. "I could make some ice, that'll float."

Natsu frowned at his comrade. "Ugh, sounds annoying. Won't the ice just melt?"

"Well, keep your flames away from it then!"

Erza sighed. "Well, it sounds like we don't have any other options."

Lucy sighed. "Actually." Everyone turned to her, staring at the key in her hand wide-eyed. "Open Gate of the. ."

"Wait Lucy, I don't think that's a. ."

"Ram! Aries!"

The group deadpanned as the pink haired spirit appeared. "I'm sorry, is there something I can do?"

"Aries, let's see if your wool can float." Aries did a small wool cushion blast and everyone was pleased to see that it in fact did float. Lucy smiled. "Great job Aries! Can you go around and help everyone out here so no one drowns?"

Aries shifted uncomfortably. "I'll try my best."

Lucy pulled another key, causing everyone to jump nearby. "Open gate of the Maiden, Virgo!" The other pink haired spirit appeared sporting a black and white frilly swim suit.

"You summoned me Princess?"

"Virgo can you help Aries save all of those people?"

Her pink eyes scanned the water before turning back to Lucy. "As you wish, Princess."

Aries created a large wool cushion for their group to sit on before swimming off with Virgo. Gray crossed him arms and huffed. "My ice would have been just as effective."

Erza smiled. "I think this is more comfortable."

Mest watched the spirits work with a frown. "Well, this is helpful to get everyone out of the water, what about getting everyone to the other island?"

Lucy shifted uncomfortably. "I'll handle that." Gray and Natsu both cringed, thinking of a particular spirit that is exceptional with water.

"I know it's weird to say this." Gray stared up to the sky. "I wish Juvia was here, she'd be really helpful." (Far away, Juvia fainted with overwhelming and unexplained emotions.)

Wendy landed on the wool and steadied herself. "I can help also with my wind magic."

Natsu put his hand on her head, ruffling the small girl's hair. "That sounds like a great plan to me!"

Soon the spirits returned and stepped back onto the wool. "Princess, everyone is out of the water."

Lucy beamed. "Thanks guys." She turned and gave a serious expression. "Now, my turn." The team stared at her as she held something gold in her trembling hands. Natsu recognized the top of Aquarius' key peaking out from her fingers. "Star Dress! Aquarius form!" Everyone stood in shock seeing Lucy's outfit change. She now wore a swim suit top with zig zags, a short skirt cover with a small ruffle. She looked down at herself, expression unreadable as she traced the symbol now visible across her clavicle. She let out a nostalgic sigh and gave everyone a forced smile; Natsu stared with intensity recognizing that expression from a long time ago.

Lucy closed her eyes and raised her arms, water rising behind her. She stepped off the wool letting water carry her. She looked to Wendy. "Where was that island?"

Carla picked up Wendy and the departed with Lucy following.

Natsu tilted his head in thought. "I think I've seen her wear that before."

Gray sighed, putting his hands in his pockets. "I'm just happy she didn't summon Aquarius, she gets way too carried away."

"Don't let the princess hear you say that." Gray jumped, realizing that Virgo and Aries were still there. Virgo sadly watched Lucy as she created waves to push all of wool towards the island in the distance.

Aries sadly stared out at the celestial mage. "I can't watch, I'll return to the spirit world." She turned to Virgo. "Please tell her I'm sorry and that the wool will definitely hold out long enough for them to make it to the island." Virgo nodded in response before Aries disappeared with a poof.

Erza crossed her arms. "What is it that she can't watch?"

Virgo turned and studied the group. "I supposed Princess never did tell you all."

Gray sighed. "Tell us what?"

"How she saved you all during that Tartaros fight." Everyone waited for her to continue with anticipation.

"Well. . How did she do it?" Happy asked curiously.

Virgo's eyes wandered to her master. "I don't know if I am allowed to say. To be honest, it was hard on Leo and I as well seeing the whole thing."

Natsu ground his teeth. "What happened?"

Virgo looked back to the group. "You all deserve to know, and I think it's in the Princess' best interest for me to tell you. They all started to attack. She summoned me after closing Sagittarius' gate. I fought this woman that kept spinning. Another opponent came and she summoned Loke just in time." Virgo paused before speaking softer. "We could tell that our gates were draining her so we tried to hurry. Then the third came. Jackal, I believe."

"Hey! I defeated him!" Natsu frowned.

Erza nodded thoughtfully. "I did hear that they could rejuvenate their fallen comrades."

Happy's eyes grew wider. "What'd she do then Virgo?"

"The princess was determined to save everyone and refused to go down before that. So, she summoned Aquarius."

"3 spirits? That's impressive."

Erza nodded to Gray. "Not to mention all 3 were Zodiac keys." She turned back to Virgo. "What happened then?"

Virgo stared at them, her face showed worry. "Aquarius attacked, there was one that specialized in water and she knew that Lucy couldn't hold out much longer. Loke and I were attacked and forced to leave. From what we were told, she informed Lucy how to summon the Celestial Spirit King."

Natsu's jaw dropped. "She has his key?!"

Mest put his hand under his chin. "I've never heard of anyone ever summoning the Celestial Spirit King."

"This was the first time."

Erza raised her eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Color me impressed. When did she get his key?"

Virgo blinked. "He doesn't have a key."

Everyone stared expectantly at her. "Well?!" Natsu groaned anxiously.

Virgo glanced back out to the blonde mage who had all of the wool moving through the water towards an island in the distance getting closer. She shifted, turning back to them. "To summon the Celestial Spirit King, the wizard must. ." She closed her eyes and took a long breath. "The wizard must destroy a golden zodiac key; one where the mage and spirit have complete trust in each other and a close bond." Her rushed words took several moments to process to the team.

"Lucy . .had to destroy one of. . her celestial keys."

Happy had tears forming in his eyes. "The gold ones are the rarest, remember Natsu, that's what she said the first time we met her."

Natsu stared down at happy, his fist clenched. "Aquarius was her first spirit wasn't she?"

Virgo slowly nodded. "She had Aquarius since she was a small child."

Erza placed a hand over her mouth. "She never told us."

Gray stared out to the blonde mage, tears filling his eyes. "Typical Lucy though, doesn't want to worry the guild with her pain."

Natsu looked away from everyone, ashamed. "I left her." Everyone turned to stare at him. "I left her, for a whole year. I. . She needed us and we all left her."

Erza held herself and looked away, biting her bottom lip. "We all left her right after she sacrificed so much to save us."

Gray put his head in his hands, trying to hold back the tears that were already running down his face. "Dammit!" The jolt of the wool touching the land snapped them back to their current situation.

Erza straightened herself, regaining her composure. "We will have to be extra strong." She turned to face the rest of them. "For Lucy."

Soon, Lucy and Wendy returned with Carla trailing behind. Wendy sat Lucy on the beach and began using her healing magic on the celestial mage. Lucy hung her head back with a groan, letting her blonde hair cascade behind her. "I'm exhausted."

Wendy smiled at the blonde. "Well you did a lot."

Lucy smiled down at the young dragon slayer. "Wow, Wendy! I'm feeling so much better already! You're healing magic has gotten much better."

Wendy blushed as she stood, brushing the sand from her dress. "Thanks, it was really helpful being with Chelia for that year. I learned quite a bit!"

Virgo stepped over to them. "Princess, I have a new outfit for you."

"Thanks Virgo." Lucy stood, staring down at herself. "I can never get my clothes to change back from these yet. Luckily they end up in the celestial world." Lucy quickly changed back and gingerly handed the outfit back to Virgo. "Thanks so much Virgo! Tell Aries I said thank you as well."

Virgo bowed. "Yes. Farewell Princess." She vanished with a poof.

Lucy sighed and turned back to the rest of the group, surprised at their torn expressions. As she took a step forward, Happy barreled into her, knocking her to the ground. "Happy!"

"Lucy, I'm so sorry! I didn't know!"

She stared dumbfounded down at the blue cat before slowly placing her hands around him in a soft hug. "Awe, Happy. What's this about?" She couldn't understand the garbled speech that Happy made so she looked to the rest of the crew for assistance. "Guys, what's going on?"

Erza stepped forward, her arms crossed. "Virgo told us." Her voice was soft but direct.

Lucy's eyes widened with realization and she hastily looked away, biting her bottom lip. Gray stepped forward. "Lucy, why didn't you tell us?"

She pulled Happy into a tighter hug before slowly looking up at everyone, her eyes landed on Natsu before she started speaking. "I. . Everyone else was going through so much already. I wanted to be strong for the guild. And. . I feel ashamed." She looked away, tears running down her face. "I had break my contract with one of my spirits. My friend. I made the choice and now I can't ever see her again."

Warm arms encircled her into a tight hug, surprising her. She didn't have to open her eyes to recognize who it was. "Lucy." Her arms wrapped around his warm body as Happy slipped off of her lap. "I'm so sorry." His voice sounded so hoarse. "I . . I wasn't thinking about what everyone else was going through, I just knew I needed to get stronger." Her grip tightened as the tears grew out of control. "I won't ever let that happen to you again! I promise!"

She pulled away and wiped her eyes before meeting his determined olive green gaze. "I promise I won't let that happen again also, and a celestial wizard never goes back on their word!"

 **Alright, this was my first time doing a one shot. To be honest, I've been dying to find out how everyone discovers the truth about what happened and I couldn't handle it anymore and wrote a one shot. I've been tempted to do so for months now and I hope you all like it. This was written before chapter 444 was posted so this was something along the lines what I was hoping to happen. If you haven't read the chapter yet, all I have to say is WOW. If anyone needs someone to geek out with over this stuff I'm totally here.**

 **One day this will hopefully happen (not like this probably just the confrontation), cause I will cry if the characters 'already know' and there is no emotional moment for us to experience. (I've needed this since January/February).**

 **Let me know what you all think! =)**


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